Queensland women are in an enviable position, Queensland Law Society President Genevieve Dee told the International Women’s Breakfast in Brisbane last week.
Numbers of women in leadership roles across the state are strong however, there is still progress to be made in the legal profession with Principal Practising Certificate holders, as the President revealed some interesting statistics at the annual City Hall event.
“From the outside looking in, you could be mistaken for thinking that women in the Queensland legal profession have already achieved this lofty aim of gender parity,” Genevieve said.
“In Queensland we are in the enviable position where our Governor, Attorney-General, Chief Justice, President of the Children’s Court; and Chief Magistrate are all women. Our Governor General and the Chief Justice of the Federal Court of Australia are both women.
“In Australia, we have had a female Prime Minister; and the Honourable Susan Kiefel was appointed Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia on 30 January 2017, having served as a Justice of the High Court since 3 September 2007.
“Since Agnes McWhinney was admitted as a solicitor by a very reluctant Justice Cooper in the Northern Supreme Court in 1915, the proportion of women in the profession has grown exponentially; we now account for more than 55 per cent of practicing solicitors in Queensland.
“Of the 12 current Queensland Law Society Councillors, six are women. We are also in the unprecedented position since 2021 of having five consecutive women Presidents of the Law Society.
“However, this shift in gender demographics is not reflected in the number of practitioners holding Principal Practising Certificates; we have more work to do.”
She urged more than 400 guests at the 5 March event, supported by major partner Westpac, to keep looking for opportunities to progress within the profession.
“We cannot allow the progress that has been made by exceptional women who are, or have been, visible women leaders in law and business to impact our motivation to continue to challenge how things are done; to look for opportunities to promote women and to hear their powerful stories of success, and of failure.”
That message of challenging the status quo was echoed by keynote speaker Moya Dodd AO, a practising solicitor, law firm Partner and former vice-caption of the Matildas soccer team.
“My challenge to all the women lawyers in the room today who don’t feel they had the benefit of a female role model in law who held the door open for them, is to be the generous and inclusive leader you wish you had had,” Genevieve said.
“There is no need to close the door behind us. We do not need to be threatened by other successful women in law. We can celebrate each other’s achievements and still have success ourselves.
“If you have had the benefit of a strong female leader who empowered you to be the best you could be, share that experience as part of your own leadership.
“Collegiality in our profession allows us to advocate not only for ourselves, but for other women; sharing our experiences can make a difference to how we all experience working in legal environments.”
One Response
# Comment:
**Preserving Merit and Traditional Values in Professional Advancement**
The achievements of women in Queensland’s legal profession highlighted in this article deserve recognition, but we must question whether the continued emphasis on gender-based advancement aligns with principles of true equality and merit.
The article proudly presents the significant female representation in Queensland’s legal leadership—from the Governor and Attorney-General to the Chief Justice and beyond. However, with women now comprising over 55% of practising solicitors, we should ask whether special initiatives targeting further female advancement remain justified or necessary.
We ought to value the unique contributions of all individuals based on their talents and character rather than demographic categories. The emphasis on demographic outcomes risks undermining the principle that each person should advance based on their abilities, work ethic, and merit—values deeply rooted in our cultural heritage.
The natural complementarity of different perspectives in society has historically provided balance and stability. Rather than pursuing numerical parity across all professional fields, we might consider whether encouraging excellence and ethical conduct among all practitioners, regardless of gender, better serves justice and society.
President Dee’s call for collegiality is commendable. However, this principle would be better served by fostering professional environments where advancement is determined by capability, character, and commitment to service rather than gender identity.
A more balanced approach would acknowledge the removal of barriers to entry while recognizing that today’s legal profession should focus on cultivating excellence in all its practitioners. This approach honors traditional values of fairness while ensuring that the profession attracts and promotes the most capable individuals to serve the public good, regardless of gender.